Blind Pond Brook (above) is on the west side of Eldred in the Town of
Highland New York. Halfway Brook is to the East. You can see their
location on the 1870 map in the Chapter 4 post.
Thank you to my cousin Cynthia for the Blind Pond Brook photos
and to Kelly for the Blind Pond photo.
Blind Pond.
Blind Pond Brook.
During the winter, large quantities of lumber from the Halfway Brook mills were drawn to Barryville, made into rafts, then taken to Handsome Eddy, two or three miles further down the river. There they waited for the spring freshets.
At Handsome Eddy, considered a safe place for rafts no matter what the water level, the rafts were combined into larger rafts—a double raft made of two single rafts lashed together, which was the usual, or a six-handed raft made of three rafts. The completed rafts were anchored and lashed together before they were launched into the Delaware River.
In early spring 1832, at least 2,000,000 feet, and 20 to 25 double rafts of sawn lumber sat at Handsome Eddy, ready to float to market. The water level of the river remained low through the first week of May, which was unusual. Owners were anxious to get their rafts to market; the raftmen were uneasy about doing so in such low water. What to do?
Starting May 8, 1832, it rained violently day and night for three days and nights. The Delaware River, a raging flood, was covered with the valuable lumber and rafts which had been anchored in Handsome Eddy. Only David Quick’s raft was saved because it was in a favorable position.
The “May flood,” was the highest known until the flood of 1869 and one in 1895, which was 16 inches higher.
—Johnston’s Reminiscences, p. 276
Halfway Brook as it leaves Eldred. Photo courtesy of my cousin Cynthia.
You ask the probable amount we would raise per Sabbath. I think we could raise $5 dollars per Sabbath for a season amongst ourselves…
At the place in which we live there is a school house in which we hold our meetings on every Sabbath on Halfway Brook, four miles from the Delaware and Hudson Canal. Several miles west, there is a meeting house, but few of our members are there and no meeting kept up.”—James Eldred, August 7, 1832.
Chapter 4 tells the story of the arrival of the Congregational Church Pastor, Felix Kyte. Felix Kyte performed the wedding ceremonies for both my Austin and my Leavenworth Great-Grandparents.
Felix Kyte wrote about the years he was pastor in the Towns of Highland, Lumberland and Tusten. The Kyte Narrative was originally published in 1875. In writing Chapter 4, I used a copy of The Kyte Narative, reprinted as a publication of The Shohola Railroad & Historical (Society 2000) that was given to me; and a hand written copy of my great aunt Aida Austin that was loaned to me by my cousin Melva.
The Kyte family moved to several different places before finally getting their own home which is shown on the 1870 Beers map below.
Map courtesy of Frank V Schwarz.
The work of most people in the area was related in some way to lumbering. Each lumbering company had its small community of employees, most of whom lived in make-shift tenements, and some did not have a garden. But all received wages which left no surplus at the end of the year.
—John W. Johnston, Reminiscences.
Chapter 3 can be previewed by clicking on the link to the right.
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Large tree trunk by Glass Pond. Photo courtesy of Mary B. Austin.
Sixty years ago in December just closed, Grandfather Eldred came to this neighborhood. At that time it was called Lumberland. Uncle C.C.P. Eldred was a little over seven years old. Came from Orange County, Wallkill Township to Halfway Brook on the old Cochecton Road.
Here they found a sawmill and log house. No other building of any kind within a mile of this place now called Eldred. They took possession of the house and sawmill…There was about two acres of cleared land.
—January 1, 1876, Maria Austin, granddaughter.
Halfway Brook. Photo courtesy of my cousin Cynthia.
It was the beginning of December 1815. A lone log house and sawmill stood silently on almost two acres of cleared land near the middle of Halfway Brook, in the Town of Lumberland, New York. There were no other buildings around for a mile in any direction.
So starts Chapter One in The Mill on Halfway Brook.
There are many Halfway Brooks. The Halfway Brook of The Mill on Halfway Brook flows through the Town of Highland, New York on its way to the Delaware River. The Mongaup River (and Town of Lumberland border) to the east and the Ten Mile River to the west, also flow into the Delaware River.
Halfway Brook not far from where the old mill probably
stood. Photo courtesy of my cousin Cynthia.
First of all I would like to thank those of you who bought, The Mill on Halfway Brook. I hope you enjoy reading the book.
It’s been busy times and a steep learning curve with the publishing of The Mill on Halfway Brook. But last evening, everything seemed calm, so I started getting the photos I wanted for the next book into the correct file.
This involved using Photoshop. To my dismay, neither Photoshop, nor Indesign (my book layout program) worked. Once again, my tech help—husband Gary, is back troubleshooting and restoring my computer so I can work on my book.
My computer crashed twice during the writing of The Mill on Halfway Brook. You may be able to comprehend my panic and appreciation for the tech help I have, and why I wrote the following on my acknowledgment page:
This book would not have been possible without my husband Gary’s technical help, design expertise, and editing. He kept the computers working, designed the cover, interior layout, created maps, and retouched photos—all this while doing major, complete renovation of our house and coping with a wife who is always working on this book. Thank you, Gary.
Most of the inside of the house is done. Looks like Book Two will be written (I’m assuming my computer will be working soon) during the renovation of the outside.
The Mill on Halfway Brook is now available from this site!
Click here to preview the Table of Contents, Chapter Three, and the Index.
The Mill on Halfway Brook
Stories of Families Who Settled Near Halfway Brook in the Town of Highland, New York, 1800 to 1880
At the end of 1815, James and Polly Eldred and their family arrived in the Town of Lumberland and settled on two acres with a log cabin and a sawmill near Halfway Brook. The Eldred property—four miles from the Delaware River—later became the southeast corner of Halfway Brook Village which is now Eldred, in the Town of Highland, New York.
The Mill on Halfway Brook tells of the Eldred, Austin, Myers, and Leavenworth families, their neighbors, friends, and kinsfolk that settled in what was once the Town of Lumberland, in the villages of Halfway Brook (Eldred), The River (Barryville), Ten Mile River (Tusten), and South Lebanon (Glen Spey).
The narrative weaves vignettes of townsfolk, preachers, churches, regional and national events with historical information, land documents, censuses, an 1875 biography, Congregational and Methodist Chruch records, over 300 photos and postcards, old and new maps, and at least 200 family letters (1845–1880).
The Mill on Halfway Brook is fully indexed with names of over 900 people, places, and events. It is the first in the series, Memoirs from Eldred, New York, 1800–1950.
“The Mill on Halfway Brook” is in final final editing stages before being sent to the printer. It is about 280 pages long. Here are the chapter titles.
Chapter 1: The Town of Lumberland, 1798–1815
Chapter 2: The Mill on Halfway Brook, 1815–1825
Chapter 3: Life in Lumberland, 1825–1831
Chapter 4: Reverend Felix Kyte, 1832–1834
Chapter 5: The Mill on Blind Pond Brook, 1836–1849
Chapter 6: The Bubbling Spring, 1839–1850
Chapter 7: Near Hagan Pond, 1851–1860
Chapter 8: Letters from a Soldier, 1861–1865
Chapter 9: “Your Loving Cousin,” 1866–1871
Chapter 10: Emma Goes to College, 1872, 1873
Chapter 11: Return to Eldred, 1974–1877
Chapter 12: In Kansas Bright as Fair, 1878
Chapter 13: The Journey’s Length, 1879
